Drying apparatus



July 28, 1936. J. F. DORNFELD I DRYING APPARATUS Filed Nov. 28, 1953INVENTOR: JOHN E DORNFELD.

ATTORNEY.

Patented July 28, 1936 1 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE v I j a I 2,o49,199DRYING APPARATUS John F. Dornfeld, San Diego, Calif.

Application November 28, 1933, Serial No. 700,100

3 Claims.

'This invention relates to drying apparatus employed in the disposal ofspent grains or similar products requiring an aerating treatment forremoving moisture. v

,The objects of the invention are:-- a The providing of an equipmentsuitable in the art concerned for progressively advancing granularproducts through a continuous drying process whose de-hydratingefiiciency will permit a comparatively small and economical structure todispose of a relatively large volume of material.

The providing of an apparatus whereby the moisture driven off is notpermitted to re-enter the outgoing or finished material but passesthrough the oncoming product to an exhaust located in advance of theassemblys discharge.

The providing of an apparatus whose output can be manipulated in a waythat uniformly graded product is a selectively attained feature throughthe synchronizing of the drying mediums input, the exhaust of this samemedium, andthe regulating of the means controlling the discharge volume.

Other advantages will be noted throughout the particular description;the novel features being pointed out in the appended claims; bothdivisions of this application referring to the accompanying drawingwhich latter is a part thereof. The several views of the drawing areindexed as follows:-

A Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional-elevation of the assembled apparatus. 7

,Fig. 2 is a sectional-plan view taken on line 2-2 ofFig. 1. v i v Fig.3 is a perspective view of the discharge openin that forms a principalfeature in this invention.

The drawing is somewhat diagrammatic but is of the general designpreferred. It is here observed that slight departures due tomanufacturing economy may be introduced without departing from thespirit of the invention.

Similar characters of reference apply to like parts throughout theseveral views.

Referring to the drawing, a shell or container A supported by a baseportion B is provided with an airtight cover A. The shell A iscylindrical form the bottom of which is fashioned to oifer a conical andperforated screen element l adapted for supporting the product M inprocess of curing. The said screens base diameter is intentionally lessthan the circular diameter of the shell A in order to arrange an annularopening 2 for passage of the material M when same is dried. Directlybeneath the opening 2 and spaced to be opp sed thereto is a shelf-likeannular ledge 3 which arrests the flow of dried products passing throughsaid opening. The shell A is in communication with a product storage Cby means of a connecting tube D whose length will coin-. cide with anypreferred arrangement of the elements A and C. This tube taps the shellA axially thereof and terminates to leave its lowermost ,end adjacent tothe airtight cover A' provided for the aforesaid shell. Located on thecover A is an exhaust blower E that functions as a suction fan whichaffects the air-currents passing upwardly through the apparatus asarrows indicate. This exhaustameans E acts to efiect a partial vacuum inthe area X within the shell A. Beneath the screen I and concentric withthe said shell is pro vided a chamber F wherein is housed the mecha:nism necessary to the apparatus. This chamber is in communication with asuitable source of heated-air by means of a conduct G. Axially centralupon the floor F of the chamber is located a standard or base 4 whichhouses and provides the journalling requisites for a worm-wheel 5, aworm 6, and an upright shaft 1, the latter extending verticallythroughout the entire apparatus; the shaft's lower terminus being keyedto the aforesaid worm-wheel. Above the screen I the said shaft will. befitted with suitable stirring or beater arms 8. Beneath the said screenthis shaft carries a brush 9, fixed to rotate with the, shaft, to sweepthe under side of the aforesaid screen. Also keyed to the said shaft isadually armed collar l0 whose upper arm ll supports a slidable blade orscraper I2. The said blade is attachedto an upstanding arm l3 which isintegral with a bored sleeve l4 adapted to admit a threaded stem I5projecting from the lower collar-arm I I. The said sleeve is disposedbetween an outwardlythrusting spring l6 and an adjusting-nut ll, thelatter offering hand-wheel facilities for regulating the scraper bladel2 radially with respect to the annular shelf 3, there being anappropriate opening ,1 arranged in the wall of chamber F. The driedproducts swept from the ledge shelf 3, and the same passing through thescreen I fall upon the floor F of the chamber F. The arm H followsclosely the contour of the standard 4 and terminates as a support towhich is attached a radially disposed raking blade l8 which sweeps thesaid products around to a. discharge opening I which action ends thedrying process here concerned.

The storage feature C may be an upper floor of a building wherein theapparatus is installed or any other appropriate hopper means of likecharacter. The shaft 1 may extend into the storage in order to disturbproducts stored therein or the products may be agitated in any suitableway that will induce same to flow down the suction of the exhausting fanE. The effect upon the general mass of product passing through theelement A is indicated as to moisture con tent by the rendering of thedrawing, the darkest portion symbolizing that which is wet, whichcondition gradually changes to what is entirely, dry at the screen I.

The aerating element or warm air entering through the conduit G, lowersin temperature in passing through the material M, so thatg 'when samereaches the area X all of its drying value has been dissipated. In thismanner no heat units are wasted; nor are any of the wet productspermitted -to affect that portion already dried. The air currentsmove-upwardly under the vacuum-influence of the exhausting blower Themoisture of the incoming mass cannot descend to again change what has"already been tie-hydrated. The process can be lengthened or shortenedby arrangingthe stay of the material within the container A to be of anydesirable periodof time. lating'the hand-wheel H to adjust the blade 12inwardly or outwardly to rake more or lessproduct s-ofi theshelf 3,which action permits greater or lesser amount of material to crowdthrough the opening 2 directly over the annular shelf. The said shelf isspaced from said opening in order to allow a determined angular aspectto obtain'thereat which permits of adjusting the blade 12 for takingvery small, and very appreciable quantitieson the aforesaid shelf.

The apparatus is a compact assembly that does not require inordinateroom for its installa tion. The operation is a continuous process whichis continuously effective in contradistinction' to those'forms of dryingapparatus which tumble the material together while exposing the mass toairpass'ing haphazardly through'these structures and escape withoutexpending all of the heat units such'currents carry The presentinvention compelsthe heat units to be used'upwithinthe mass before beingallowed to exhaust. The cone'screen'lmay be itis here'remarked, a flatfloor provided with meansfor discharging the lower strata'of products atintervalsif- Also This is accomplished by maniputhe stirring arms or atleast those in the compartment A, could be fitted with end bladesarranged to scrape the compartment wall for removing adhering material,should this ever become a desirable item. I 5

,Having described the invention, what is desired to protect by U. S.Letters Patent, is:-

1. A drying apparatus having a vertical axial shaft equipped withstirring arms, a tube conveying an agitated product, said tube inclosingsaid 10 shaft, a cylindricalprocessing chamber which is supplied throughsaid tube with a product to be processed, a compartment aligned with andsimilar to said chamber disposed beneath said chamber,"a"perforated andupstanding conical plate separatingjsaid chamber and said compartment, aproduct-agitating means functioning with said shaft in said processinghopper chamber, said V and said compartment armed'with radial'stirringblades for agitating said mass, an annular'shelf around the interiorwall of said chamber adjacent a the plane of the screens conical base,an apertured floor in said compartment, a pivoted scraper blade sweepingthe aforesaid shelf, a sweeping blade forclearing the floor in saidcompartment, both aforesaid, blades actuated by a bifurcated-arm elementrotating in unison with 40 I said shaft. v V V 3. A drying apparatuscomprising cylindrical means forming a processing chamber, a shaftconcentric with said processing chamber, stirring means on said shaft,an'upwardly extending perforated floor below said processing chamber, asecond chamberbelowsaid floor, drying medium conductingmeans openinginto said second chamber; gearing for said shaft in said second chamber,

feeding means for material to be dried latthe top' of said processingchamber, suction'means adjacent said feeding means and above thematerial in'the processing chamber, and an annular shelf below saidfioor functioning as a bafile to direct-the drying medium into'the areabelow said floor, said'drying medium passing through V the material insaid processing chambertosaid suction means' r JOHNFQDORNFELD."

